A Story of Souls
by aura-w
Summary: The true nature of the soul is a disputed and philosophical theory... When a teenage girl is kidnapped in order to aid the defeat of the Green Ninja, the aftereffects of these actions are felt in more places than one. Tossed into a new world of magic and power, she must choose her allies and enemies wisely in order to go home-the fate of an entire universe might just rest upon it.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey there. This is a story I am really looking forward to sharing. I have wanted to publish this for many years, and although I do not have it written, basically every detail is mentally planned out. There will be some dark themes, and I will start the rating at T but can definitely increase it if requested. The plot will thicken as the story progresses.**

Stars glittered like diamonds over an inky black sky, and misty clouds slowly drifted through the air. The glow of streetlights illuminated a giggling group of girls, walking in unison out of a dark alleyway. They were talking rapidly, but ignoring the fact that one seemed to be trailing behind the rest.

The girl in question was several inches shorter than the others, barely reaching five feet. Her hunched posture and slow walk reflected more than a tinge of nervousness.

"Guys… We shouldn't be here. You know that."

"Oh, come on. We're going home, right? Just...taking a few shortcuts along the way."

"These alleys aren't safe. You know that, Alex!" The shorter girl briefly straightened, and picked up pace so she was walking next to the group.

"Oh, come on! It's okay, we told our parents we'd be back by eleven. It's barely nine. Suck it up, Aura." Alex rolled her eyes and kept walking. Aura, for the millionth time that day, wished she were taller.

"I'm not saying we should go home, I'm just saying that we should be safe," she retorted. A gust of wind howled sharply from behind them, and strands of Aura's dark hair flew into her face. She cursed before pushing them back and shoving her waist-length braid underneath her hoodie.

"Alright, that's it. I'm leaving early." She stormed off, ignoring the protests of her friends.

"I'll tell everyone you're a baby, and you're scared of the dark!" Alex shouted back. Aura scoffed.

"You really think I care about what anyone at school thinks of me? I'm not dumb. I'm walking home. Thanks for dinner and the movie. Good night." She swiftly ran out of the alley, exhaling with a sigh of relief once she saw a highway. Alex had nearly hit a nerve. No matter how much she tried to love the dark, a tiny part of her insisted that she should be afraid, terrified, of what lurked beyond the silken shadows.

Suddenly, the sky began to lighten, and a bright beam of green light momentarily flashed through the clouds. Aura stopped in her tracks, and then started running. She knew the way home, more or less, and whatever that light was, it couldn't possibly be good.

Never mind the fact that she had been starving for a source of magic in her life since she was three years old.

She slowed to a jog and started walking along the shoulder of the highway. It was okay. She was okay. The other girls would be fine. Even though they could be jerks, she still found herself worrying about them, and hoped that they hadn't run into the green light in the sky.

Aura jumped with a start when she realized that the ground was rumbling and shaking underneath her feet. _You're fine,_ she thought. Earthquakes weren't common in this area, but hey, they were still possible.

Before she could convince herself that it was true, the world ripped in two in front of her eyes. A tear slowly appeared in the fabric of reality, hovering in the air in front of her face. She slowly backed away, frozen with fear, as the tear reached the ground. A man stepped out.

More of a teenager than a man, really. His dark clothing was torn and tattered, and a strange green glow emanated from him, his hair limp and jagged around his face. As soon as he saw her, his melancholy green eyes flashed bright red. Aura was instantly overwhelmed with a sense of danger, and she turned and ran once more.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she tried to power through it. A few more minutes, she thought. Just a few more minutes and this crazy night will finally be over. She imagined being safe and warm in her bed, and urged herself to move even faster.

The man reached out and grabbed her, staring into her hazel eyes with a deranged glare.

"Where am I? I- I- can't-" He stuttered, trying to find the right words. Effectively distracted, the pause gave Aura the chance to rip out her arm. She punched him in the jaw, hard enough to push him back a step.

The punch went straight through his head, and Aura stumbled back, gasping wildly. What in the world? Not knowing what to do, she ran like her life depended on it. Before she made it off the highway, she felt something tighten around her chest. Looking down, she only saw air. Suddenly, she was being yanked backwards, faster than she thought possible. When her head cleared, she was staring at the man once more.

"What do you want?" She had meant to yell, but her voice came out as a croaky whisper. "I don't have money." She couldn't outrun him. This much, she was sure of. The only left was to try to outsmart him. There were supposedly four instincts when it came to humans battling fear - fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Unfortunately, she had always tended towards the last two.

The man glanced at her, and then smiled. It appeared that he hadn't smiled in a very long time, and the sinister grin was incredibly unsettling.

"Oh, you'll do just fine," he whispered. "The perfect instrument to begin my revenge." Aura found herself roughly shoved through the otherworldly tear that was still floating in midair. A blue light emanated from it, and she fell through.

At first, she was submerged in swirling shades of blue and purple. After a few seconds, she was enveloped completely in the inky darkness of unconsciousness.

* * *

When she awoke, it was to ragged breathing. it took several moments to realize it was her own. Aura felt cool, smooth rock through her thin t-shirt and realized she was upright against a wall. She slowly slid down, feeling the cold floor of what appeared to be a prison cell, and then jumped up, remembering everything that had happened.

Her bickering friends. Leaving by herself. The strange man. The rift in the air...

Aura finally jolted to her senses, realizing the gravity of her situation. She scanned the small cell, involuntarily shuddering as she spotted a small bug crawling across the floor. When she glanced at the same spot again, it was gone. She hoped it had been a trick of the light, or lack of it.

"You're finally awake." A rough, unfortunately familiar voice spoke from the corner. Aura whipped her head around to see her captor standing amidst the shadows. She screamed, the shrill sound echoing across the walls of the small room. Her lungs felt numb, just like the rest of her. _Freeze. Fawn._ She hunched over, trying to assume an unthreatening position.

"Yell all you want," the strange man said. He had an eerie quality, something that Aura simply couldn't place her finger on. "No one will hear you."

Aura backed into the farthest corner, closest to the door, only to scream once more when the man flickered and appeared directly in front of her.

"You're going to be here for a while," something maniacal danced in his blood red eyes.

"Don't count on it," Aura retorted sharply. Maybe, if she could get him close enough to try to grab him-

"We'll see." He abruptly walked out, lifting the large, heavy door almost effortlessly. It slammed with a thud as he left, and the words echoed in her mind as a tear dripped to the floor.

 **Thanks for reading, please comment if you have a few seconds :)**


	2. One

**A/N: Hello all! I had largely stopped writing this story but was struck by inspiration to start it up again. Thanks to everyone who read my prologue! I will try to keep writing as much as I can. I know how annoying stories with poorly developed, overpowered OCs can be, so I'm trying my best to avoid those pitfalls. To clarify - this is currently pre-season 5, but most of my story will be set post-canon.**

Everything hurt.

Aura awoke to a dry feeling in her mouth and whispers of green still floating through her mind. She cracked her eyes open, but wasn't met with any light. Around her, stone walls outlined a dark, windowless room. She realized she was crumpled against a wall, and her shoulder seemed to be bleeding.

 _Where in the world am I?_

The strange boy with the red eyes, dragging her through a glowing tear in the night. She had woken up here once before, that she was sure of.

Trying to stand up, Aura took note of the fact that her arms had been tied behind her back. Her braid had nearly come undone, and she squinted as she tried to observe her shadowed surroundings.

"I've been freaking kidnapped," she said out loud, shock leaking into her voice. Her thin frame sank to the rough stone floor. The strange man had stolen her from the night to do who-knows-what to her. How was she going to get out of this one?

She remembered the weak punch she threw going through his head, and shuddered. What kind of creature had taken her? He had mentioned something about revenge.

Aura heard light footsteps approaching the cell, overshadowed by heavy breaths. A heavy stone door she hadn't seen before swung open, the rusted hinges screeching loudly.

Her captor stood in the doorway, the flickering torch behind him illuminating strange shadows beneath his green eyes. Aura frowned. She could have sworn –

He took a few steps forward, and the green turned to blood red. "Who are you?" Her voice was shaking. "What do you want from me? I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

"I didn't make a mistake. Not this time." His voice was rough and sent chills down her spine. She had to get out of here.

* * *

The unsettling voice thrummed in his ears as the figure on the throne leaned down towards him.

 _It is time, Morro. You will succeed, and I will be free._

"I… will have my revenge?"

 _As you please. Whatever will let me escape this world and spread my influence throughout the rest._ His mistress smiled, a brief flash of pointed fangs. She was the one who had given him the power that had fueled his quest, the one who promised him that he would be able to possess and dispose the boy who had stolen his rightful destiny-the green ninja.

For her, he would do anything.

As if she had read his mind, the Preeminent's smile widened. _You have one chance to travel freely, anywhere you wish, to find a temporary vessel to aid you in your quest. Now go, and fulfill your purpose._

The void next to him opened in a brilliant flash of blue. In a daze, he stepped through it, and was spat out into a swirling tornado. Sand stretched out as far as he could see.

The wind calmed him, and Morro grinned for the first time in years as sunlight fell onto his face. He stretched out his hand, feeling an unfamiliar pull of raw power. Before he could properly direct the energy, a rift had already opened.

Though neither of them knew it at the time, on the other side was a girl who would change his life for both better and worse.

* * *

Hazel eyes stared into flickering blood red. Above all else, his eyes scared her. They were infused with a sense of dark power that promised destruction and a terrible future.

"What do you want from me? Who are you?" She tried her best not to shy away from his gaze.

"I am the rightful savior of the world. The green ninja's mantle was stolen from me, and I intend to make it mine. Be honored that you were chosen as a vessel to aid me in my quest." It was settled. Her kidnapper was certifiably insane.

"A vessel?" She did not like the sound of that. A smirk settled on features that might have once been handsome. The man inched closer and closer, until she couldn't back away any more. His breath was cold on her face, and he grabbed her shoulders, pressing closer until-

He was gone.

Aura tried taking a breath, until she realized she couldn't. Her vision blurred and she crumpled to the ground. What did he do to her?

She felt as if she was being pushed to the back of her own mind. Her hands refused to move.

"The more you resist, the worse it'll be. Trust me, it's in your best interest to cooperate." She heard his voice as if it was coming out of her own mouth, and then realized that maybe it was. First, she had to make one thing clear. Her lips wouldn't move, so she repeated the thought in her head, hoping he would hear it.

 _Who_ are _you?_ What _are you?_ He growled.

 _I have a feeling you won't shut up about that, so fine. I'm Morro, the master of wind. I'm a ghost._

Well, that explained it. She'd been kidnapped and possessed by a ghost. Aura's self-preservation instincts kicked in. She strained against his hold with all her willpower, ripping her arm free and flailing it around wildly. Within a second, it was locked down again.

 _I wouldn't do that again if I were you._ Pain flooded through her body, lighting her nerves on fire until she tried to scream.

They walked out of the cell, Morro effortlessly slamming the door open. Even if she somehow got control of her body again, she would be no good against a powerful ghost in a fight.

 _What are we doing?_

"I give the orders here. You don't ask questions, understand?"

Morro walked her through meandering hallways lit by burning torches. The maze seemed to be built specifically to confuse her. Maybe it was.

Eventually, they came to an opening, and the sunlight was blinding.

* * *

Once they walked out onto a sandy beach she realized that she was on an island. It was tiny, with a looming building behind her she assumed as Morro's evil lair. The water was a dull gray, and her stomach turned. A small sailboat was docked on the sand, but she couldn't see any coast in the distance.

They climbed onto the sailboat, and Morro unfurled the sails. The boat began to move at a snail's pace, and Aura could feel his frustration brewing in the back of her-his- _their_ mind. This was bad, she thought to herself for the millionth time. This is very, very, bad.

Suddenly, her body turned and her hand shot out to an angle. Before she could comprehend what had just happened, a gust of wind emerged from her outstretched palm, and the boat lurched forward, cutting rapidly through the waves.

Well. That was new.

They continued to speed through the waves, wind sending strands of hair flying across her face. She felt suffocated, as if she was crammed into a small box in the back of her head, and was almost thankful that she was unable to scream.

After a few minutes of guiding the boat though the water with her-their- _his_ powers - _ugh, this was hard -_ They arrived at the coastline. People were frolicking happily on the small beach, which eventually faded into grass.

Aura felt herself looking up, and saw tall buildings stretching towards the clouds in all shapes and colors. The city seemed to blend the Ney York skyline with what she imagined Tokyo would be like. Strange letters the likes of which she had never seen before formed signs and storefronts.

Morro docked the boat onto a deserted part of the beach, and trudged onto the grass. If she was still in control of herself, she would have bent over to catch her breath, exhausted after feeling unfamiliar power flood through her. But she wasn't, and they kept going against her instincts.

The streets were bustling with people, and filled her with both nostalgia and fear. She was stuck in an unfamiliar world, possessed by an unfamiliar being. Oh, what she would give to be back home right now.

She tried to turn back, but once more, her legs disobeyed her. She felt her muscles twinge and contract, and they approached a girl with short red hair leaning against one of the skyscrapers. She was talking animatedly with a boy in a purple hoodie. They both turned when they saw Morro approach.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around here before! Are you lost?" Aura tried to speak before Morro could.

"I'm new here. Where exactly am I?" The girl took off her helmet with one hand, and gestured grandly with another. The boy wiggled his arms dramatically.

"Welcome.. to New Ninjago City!"

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you have a second :)**


	3. Two

**A/N: Only one chapter left until we get to the present day! I watched season 12 yesterday, and it was amazing. If you haven't seen it yet, the entire thing is on YouTube, though it probably won't be for long.**

Aura tried to yell for help. Instead, Morro spoke through her yet again.

"I'm from another… town. Near here. Uh.. this might be a weird question, but do you know where I could find out about the history of the place? Especially about the Green Ninja?"

Morro's words confused her. Why would he want to know about the history of this place? Then again, it might be helpful for her. She still didn't know what exactly she had gotten into.

The redheaded girl gave them a weird look.

"I'm Antonia," she said. "You want to know stuff about Lloyd?"

"Lloyd," Morro stated blandly. Aura was extremely uncomfortable with hearing her own voice in such an unfamiliar way. "That is the Green Ninja?"

Antonia looked at them with open shock. The boy next to her dropped his bike.

"Uh, yeah, dude. Where have you been? Were you living under a rock or something?" Morro ignored her.

"Where can I find it?" The little boy spoke up, picking up his bike.

"I guess you can visit the library," he said earnestly. "I know people have written books about everything he's done for Ninjago! The librarians would probably know something. I love the Green Ninja. He's so amazing, and saves us every day!"

"Does he, now." Morro's voice was filled with disdain, and Aura felt sorry for the boy, who was clearly a fan of the ghost's mysterious target. A cramp ran up her aching legs, and she shuddered in her mind. She wondered if Morro could feel her pain. _I sure hope so,_ she thought, praying he wouldn't hear her.

After a few minutes of making their way through the streets, Aura and Morro came upon the library that the kids must have been talking about. While she couldn't read the script at the top of the building, the shelves upon shelves of books inside sent a clear message.

A bell tinkled as they entered, and a tired woman waved at them from the counter. Morro walked towards her in measured steps. Aura tried harder than every to wrest herself from his control, focusing on ripping her body away from the influence. It almost worked, but he pulled her back.

 _You're not getting away that easily. I've told you before, the more you resist, the worse off you will be._

Aura finally gave up, mentally sweating. The librarian raised an eyebrow, completely unaware of her internal struggle.

"Did you need something?" Morro walked on.

"Yes." Morro's voice came out through her in a raspy whisper. He cleared his- _her_ throat and tried again. "Yes. I want to know everything you know about the Green Ninja, Lloyd." The woman smiled.

"Oh, sure! Finally, someone who doesn't want to use the computers for TokTik or whatever new fad the kids are up to these days." She cleared her desk and motioned for them to sit down. "People have mixed opinions about them, but I honestly think the ninja are the best thing that's ever happened to this city. Lloyd is one of the most responsible kids I've seen in a very long time." She shook her head. "It sure is a shame this city has to rely on teenagers to defend it, but what's done is done. Go on, sit down!"

Morro sat down. The woman, whose name tag read Patty Keys, put on the glasses that were lying on her desk. "Honestly, the only reason I know so much is because I'm friends with Gayle Gossip."

"It all started when little Lloyd Garmadon opened an old Serpentine tomb…"

A couple of hours later, Aura and Morro were still sitting next to Patty, and her head was spinning with new information. Snakes, stone warriors, overlords, evil cyborgs, and then _more_ snakes? It was hard to believe such a fantastical world existed, and yet here she was, right in the middle of it.

Shame about the whole possession thing, though.

The ninja seemed like the kind of teenage heroes Aura had always dreamed of being, although she admitted the idea was a little far-fetched. If she couldn't even fend off this - ghost - then there was no way she could defeat the major villains these ninja had faced already.

While Aura was enraptured by the librarian's stories, she could sense Morro's frustration and impatience. A bead of sweat rolled down his- _their_ forehead as Aura continued to try to resist his hold. Well, there was a reason she had always been absolute crap at meditation.

Morro's frustration seemed to increase with her efforts, so she stopped before she made him any angrier. She did want to live long enough to see her parents, after all. Aura had tried to adopt an optimistic attitude after hearing the stories of Ninjago, and vowed to see as much of the mysterious realm as possible before making the escape she still didn't know how to carry out.

"We have to go," Morro's voice came out in a throaty growl, and she felt an ache sting her voicebox.

"Oh, are you alright, dear?"

"I'm fine, but it's getting late. Thank you for your time." He imitated her voice better this time, almost fooling herself.

"Of course, honey." Patty rearranged her papers.

"Where can I find him now? The Green Ninja?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe check the noodle place down the street? Honestly, he comes to the rescue whenever anyone's in trouble." Even Patty was starting to sound a bit impatient, and Morro decided to make a quick exit.

The cell door slammed, and Aura was tossed in, throwing her hands out to stop her fall. She hit the far wall, and winced as her palms scraped against the rough stone. The constant control of her limbs and will had tired her out much faster than she had expected, and the veil of unconsciousness smothered her once more.

When Aura awoke, she found she had been chained to the wall. The manacles seemed heavier than iron, and were made of a dark, foreign metal. She jerked her head to get her hair out of her face and started when she heard a creak.

Morro leaned in the doorway, looking tired, thin, and angry. His eyes were green. She blinked, and they were scarlet once more. Aura sighed. She was going insane. At this point, she had lost hope that someone would find her. After all, who would think to look in another universe?

"We'll go out again tomorrow." Morro's voice was dangerously quiet. "You'll cooperate until my plan is finished." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" She called out. "Can I have something to eat? You don't want me to starve, do you?" He ignored her, and kept walking.

"You'll survive," he shot over his shoulder. "I did." Aura didn't have time to ponder what he meant before the door slammed and the torch on the wall went out, plunging her into darkness. She closed her eyes, although it didn't make a difference. At this point, she didn't know if she would survive. After all the action movies and fantasy novels she had read, Aura had imagined being transported to a parallel universe as a blessing rather than the curse she now realized it was.

At least she could control her own body now. She focused on the air filling her lungs, clenching her shackled hands into fists.

 _I'll make it out,_ Aura prayed. _I have to._

Morro sat at a table in a room deep within the island fortress. Torches burning with ghostly green fire lined the walls, and he clutched a cracked mirror in one hand and a vial of red liquid in the other.

A whispered incantation made the mirror swirl with light, and a figure appeared within its borders. A dark blue cloak cast a shadow over her face, but her eyes were bright gold, glowing with unearthly magic. Green scars ran across her cheek, and her lips were twisted in a mocking style.

"Enjoying yourself, Morro? How _is_ Ninjago? I've been banished so long, I can hardly remember." She straightened, her hood falling back to reveal dark waves framing her face. "Have you fulfilled your mission?"

"Not yet, Bansha," Morro growled. His hold on the vial tightened. "I'm making… progress. Slowly."

"Well, make sure it's not too slow for the Preeminent. Wouldn't want her to doubt your loyalties, would you?" He scoffed.

"You're just jealous of how close I am to her. I know how much you want my position." Bansha didn't deny it.

"Just make sure you're power is at full capacity, hmm? Our mistress is giving you such a great gift, it would be a shame not to make use of it."

"I am!" Morro shouted, standing up abruptly. He took a breath before sitting down again. "I'll be done the assignment within the week. The Green Ninja will be mine." With that, he cut off the connection, staring at the liquid rippling in its glass container.

His old mentor's voice rang out in his mind - _You are destined for great things, Morro_ \- and he took the stopper out of the glass.

"I will do great things, Wu. Greater than you could have ever imagined," Morro said into the empty room. Without hesitation, he brought the vial to his mouth and let the blood of the Great Devourer flow into his veins.

Over the course of the next few days - at least she assumed that it was days - Aura saw Ninjago from Morro's eyes. Well, she saw _him_ seeing it from _her_ eyes, but those details were too difficult to work out.

Each day, Morro would use her to walk around Ninjago city and scout for Lloyd's whereabouts.

Honestly, Aura was getting tired of being forced to move constantly without any respite for her weak stamina. She didn't remember the last time she'd eaten, and was beginning to feel the acute strain of hunger and fatigue.

Aura saw a marked change in Morro as he began to develop his plan to confront Lloyd. There was more confidence in the way he held himself, and an arrogance visible in his stare. She felt sorry for the Green Ninja, and hoped that he would never know of the part she had to play in his inevitable meeting with Morro.

Eventually, the day came. She could tell that his plan was set by the fact that his temper was shorter than normal. Aura had almost managed to escape before they docked their boat back to the island, taking advantage of his distraction. Morro had been furious, especially since the beach was packed with civilians that stared strangely upon seeing a person attempting to yell at themselves. Her arm still twinged rather painfully where he had grabbed it, and she shifted in her awkward position against the wall, hoping he would come in to let her out.

It was done now, wasn't it? He had used her to track down his target, and create a plan to capture him. Morro would surely accomplish his goal with the amount of power he possessed, and while she still felt guilty, she was also relieved that he had no more reason to keep her around. Aura vowed to herself that she would never go out late at night again, if it only meant that she could finally go back home to her family.

She waited in the dark cell, leaning against the wall and trying to control her breathing. After an eternity, Morro walked through the door, glowing with power and anticipation. Aura leaned forward as much as the chains allowed.

"Is it done?"

"Yes."

"Then let me go. You finished your plan. I don't have a place in this world. I have to go back." He cocked his head, staring through her eyes.

"You're not going anywhere."

"What?" Aura choked out. A flash of pointed teeth was visible as the corner of Morro's mouth formed a deranged grin. He looked psychotic in the dim green light.

"You really think I would let you go? That you wouldn't spill all my secrets at the first opportunity?"

"I won't tell anyone anything-"

"No. You're staying here. For the rest of your short life. Trust me, I have no intention of letting loose ends out into the world. Face it, you're never going to see whatever pathetic friends and family you have again."

He walked briskly towards the door. "Don't expect a rescue. I'm cloaking the island." Morro looked her in the eyes one last time. "This is mercy, you know," he said softly. "You won't have to suffer when my mistress curses the universe. You'll die here in peace." With that, the hinges creaked and the door closed with a blistering finality.

That night, green light flashed through New Ninjago City as a scream erupted from the night watchman in the Ninjago Museum of History. At the same time, unknown to the universe, a girl languished in a dungeon on a remote island, hidden from view, as tears of despair rolled down her face.

 **A/N: Fun fact, Patty Keys is actually a canon civilian character. I love Morro, by the way, but we won't see a better side of him for a bit. There are reasons for his behavior - you might have figured it out already. Please leave a comment if you have a second!**


	4. Three

**A/N: Will Aura make it back home in one piece? Let's find out :) Warning for dark themes and thoughts.**

Something was scurrying up the wall, and Aura suppressed a shudder. The chains gave her enough reach to grab a rusty nail on the floor and mark the wall to keep track of the time.

The only problem was that her strength was waning, and the complete lack of natural light made it impossible to deduce the days and nights from each other. Aura had always been bad at keeping an internal clock, and she could never estimate the time right. She hoped now more than ever that there was no time difference between this world and hers - what if she had been imprisoned for a few days, only to be missing from her home for fifty years?

Without any release from her dark thoughts, she circled again and again to what she could have done differently. _Next time, I'll fight them off. If there even is a next time for me,_ she thought ruefully. Aura hummed to herself, trying to push away the darkness that constantly creeped against the sides of her field of vision.

The torch was still burning brightly against the far wall of the cell, and had become a sort of hopeful symbol for her. As long as she had light, she would stay alive and sane.

After an interminable amount of time, the torch had all but flickered out, leaving burning green embers in its wake. Without food or water, Aura soon felt weaker, her limbs and torso becoming thin and emaciated. It was harder to stay awake by the day, but she knew that if she fell asleep this time, she might never wake up again.

 _I'm sorry, Mom, Dad,_ she thought to herself. _I failed you. I let you down._ Her dreams of becoming a scientist would never come to fruition. She would never go to college, let alone finish high school. Her little sister would be left all alone, wondering why her idol had abandoned her.

Aura shook with tears, but even crying sapped her strength. She cursed Morro. Why did he have to pick her, of all people? She had done nothing to him!

Finally, she felt a sense of peace. The torch had burned out completely, and a hollow shell remained. She felt much the same herself. _Goodbye,_ she told no one in particular. Her eyes drifted shut. _I wish I could have stayed for longer._

* * *

Aura's eyes sprang open suddenly. What happened? Her neck and shoulders ached, and her joints felt stiff.

 _Am I dead?_ She wondered, looking around. She was still in the cell. If it was possible, she felt even more tired than before, as if her bones were beginning to crumble into the dust. _I'm probably not dead,_ she decided. Her lips were too chapped and dry for her to say anything aloud.

A fire kindled within her, and filled her with newfound rage. _How dare he do this to a stranger._ She hopelessly yanked on the manacles circling her wrists, and was shocked when she heard something give.

Craning her head to get a glimpse of where the chain connected to the wall, she saw that a layer of rust was visible. She pulled again, wishing her muscles were stronger. Finally, the chain detached from the wall, and one of her arms was free.

Aura was too exhausted to scream for joy. Gripping the remaining shackles with both hands, she pulled as hard as she could, and finally, the clasp broke from the wall.

She stumbled back from the sudden lack of resistance. Her head spun. _What do I do now?_

Aura went to open the door, before remembering that it looked incredibly heavy, and it was most definitely locked.

Some kind of weird noise halfway between a groan and a sob erupted from her, and she tossed her hands up in frustration. One of the chains connected to her wrist was thrown into the air, and latched itself around the torch on the wall.

She looked at the wall in disbelief before a lightbulb flashed in her mind. Testing the torch with a jerk to make sure it wouldn't come loose, she wrapped the other string of metal around the doorknob, which was also quite rusty. Aura took a deep breath in and crossed her arms, using the force of the chains to slowly pull the door open.

Hearing the hinges creaking, she smiled for the first time since she had been imprisoned on the island. Finally, the lock broke and the door opened before promptly beginning to close again.

Before it could close all the way, Aura slid across the floor, sticking out her leg to stop the door from closing.

The metal rectangle closed hard on her foot, causing her to clench her jaw in pain. She hoped her ankle wasn't broken.

After recovering enough to move again, Aura edged out of the slim opening in the door. It shut behind her with a hard clang, and she winced. She was free.

She was _free._

* * *

Half an hour passed, and Aura realized that she was definitely not free. She had wandered through the halls aimlessly before finally finding an exit, only to emerge onto a tiny island.

Right. That. Why hadn't she remembered that?

Aura's head was feeling fuzzy, and she was slumped over at a table in one of the larger rooms. The walls were lit with torches similar to the one that had been in her cell. She smiled recalling her grand escape, not thinking it would have been possible.

However, Aura admitted that if she couldn't contact someone soon, she would most definitely starve to death. She couldn't have been in there for longer than a week, although it took, what, three days? for a human to die without water. Certainly, it had been longer than three days.

 _An eternity,_ her mind said. _Shut up,_ she thought back. Her throat was still too sore to talk. Hmm, maybe she could try to light a fire that passing planes might see. Did they have planes in Ninjago?

Aura wanted to take a nap, preferably for as long as possible. Acknowledging her train of thought, she forced herself to stand up. _If you fall asleep, you'll probably die,_ she told herself. _Don't fall asleep._

Stumbling into what appeared to be a kitchen separated from the main room, she wrinkled her nose at seeing the strange substance in the refrigerator. She definitely did not know any foods that were green, bubbling, and smelled like rotten eggs. So much for sating her hunger.

Her eyes fell on a rectangular object on the fridge. It was an old radio, with a small dial at the top and a tiny screen with a button pad. She pressed the visible power button, and it crackled to life. Static filled the air, and there were no noticeable signs of life. She sighed with disappointment before turning the dial, hoping to get a different frequency.

Finally, a voice spoke.

"Hello?" It sounded strangely mechanical. "Who are you? Do you need assistance?" Aura pressed a button, which responded with a loud beep. She did the only thing she knew how to do, punching out a distress signal. Three short beeps, three long, three more short.

"Help me," she croaked out. _Please,_ Aura begged. _Save my soul._

* * *

Kai threw the controller across the room, which promptly smacked Jay in the head.

"Dude!" Jay yelled. "Watch it!"

"I'm _so bored,_ " Kai groaned, throwing himself across the sofa. He was laying across the cushions with one leg over the armrest, looking thoroughly annoyed, brown hair sticking up in every direction. "We haven't done anything for weeks!" Cole walked into the room, soda in one hand and a slice of cake in the other.

"Kai, we do this every time," he said. "It's literally been a week since the last time we had to save the world. If we let ourselves get out of shape again, we might not be ready the next time something's wrong. Aspheera was our fault, you know."

"I know, I know," Kai grumbled. Jay poked a button on the console, whistling absentmindedly. The television flickered and promptly went dark. Cole and Kai glared at him.

"Oops," Jay said sheepishly.

"Every time!" Cole threw his hands in the air. "When we aren't actively trying to save Ninjago, we go insanely restless and end up making a bigger problem than if we'd just stayed put. And when we _are_ on a death-defying mission trying to keep the world from blowing up, at least half of us get depressed, someone goes crazy, and one of us usually almost dies!" He was pacing around the room, sipping from the soda in his hand in between comments. "What is wrong with us?"

"I don't know," Kai yawned. "What do you think we should do to keep ourselves busy, then?" He started a small fire in the palm of his hand, watching the flames dance.

"Stop that!" Jay shouted. "Remember what Master Wu said? No open flames inside the monastery? You burned my favorite pillow!" he whined.

"Yeah? Well you accidentally _electrocuted_ me in the _shower_!" Kai retorted.

"Guys!" The sudden knock on the door startled the three of them out of their argument. Lloyd was standing in the doorway, looking concerned. "There's a distress call from an unknown frequency." He ran off towards the Bounty, and the rest of the ninja followed.

"Here we go again," Jay said as he ran, looking equal parts excited and nervous. Cole was just nervous, and Kai looked weary and tired.

They arrived at the ship's bridge, where a small dot was beeping steadily on the ship's navigational display. Nya was leaning over her chair with her arms crossed, and her face brightened when she saw Jay and the others.

"Okay, so we got an SOS call on our frequency, but when we tracked it, it seems to be coming from," she motioned to the screen, "the middle of the ocean." Sure enough, the blinking signal was just off the coast of the continent, completely surrounded by water. "Zane, can you play back the recording?" Zane pressed a button on the ship's console, and the ninja could hear radio static.

"We received this only a few seconds ago. Nya and I were understandably concerned." The steady morse code message repeated twice. Before the recording cut out, a barely audible voice whispered, _Help me._

"Are we leaving? We aren't too far. If we hurry we can get there in a few minutes," Lloyd was determined to save whoever had managed to reach them.

"I don't know… What if it's a trap?" Cole said uneasily. "We've been misled before. And Master Wu's gone off to look for Garmadon, so there won't be anyone left here to save us if we get into trouble." Kai nodded in agreement.

"It might not be a trap, though! And Pixal will be here!" Jay seemed excited to finally be doing something. "What if whoever sent us that is actually in danger?"

"We can take a vote." As always, Zane was the voice of reason. "I believe that Nya, Lloyd, Jay, and myself all wish to at least investigate. Kai, Cole, what are your thoughts?" The two remaining ninja looked at each other and shrugged.

"I guess it's time to suit up again."

* * *

The radio slipped from her sweaty hands. Should she be sweating or freezing? Aura didn't know anymore. She thought she heard voices replying to her, but at this point, hallucinations were completely plausible.

 _I have to get out,_ she realized. _What if someone comes, and they don't see anyone?_ She strongly doubted anyone would enter the fortress without being sure there was someone inside in jeopardy.

The goal filled her mind, and she ran out of the room on shaky legs. _An opening. Where was the opening?_ Morro had filed her through an exit so many times, but she could never remember the path they had taken. _Come on, come on!_

Each darkened hallway was a disappointment, and darkness kept threatening to swallow her unsteady form. Armed with a new determination, Aura tried to recall where she had come from after reaching the same room for the third time. _It has to be around here somewhere!_

Finally, she saw a flash of light out of the corner of her eye. _Yes!_ Scrambling into another hallway, Aura ran until her legs gave out and she tumbled to the floor.

Not ready to give up, she dragged herself forward with her hands, crawling out of the exit and onto the hot sand. _I made it._

 _What now?_

Aura rolled over, laying flat on her back, surrounded by dull yellow sand and gray waves. _Not a very good way to die,_ she thought bleakly. Her entire body felt dried out, and she was _so thirsty._ She looked to the waves, but couldn't muster enough strength to move. _This is it,_ Aura thought again. _I'm not going to get a second chance this time._ She had no idea how she had woken up before.

Aura closed her eyes for what she thought would be the last time.

(It wasn't.)

* * *

In the distance, less than a mile away from the island, a bright red ship sped through the air, carrying its usual fearless crew of six. Lloyd scanned the air, not seeing anything.

"Zane?" he called out. "Do you see anything? There's nothing but water around us."

"There is something here," Zane was stationed at the ship's lookout. "I can detect a cloaking mechanism. Some sort of spell - it doesn't feel as if it is from this realm."

"Oh, great," Kai said grumpily. "Haven't we had enough of other realms?"

"Definitely," Zane whispered under his breath, staring at his hands. He righted himself, promising not to break down in front of the others.

"Everything good, Zane?" Nya was still scanning the horizon.

"I'm fine," he said, hoping she wouldn't pry any further. Movement startled him out of his thoughts. "Look, over there!" Following his line of sight, the ninja saw that a small island had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, an invisible barrier melting off of it as they approached.

"Is there someone on the sand? I can't see very clearly," Cole squinted. His eyes widened. "There is! They aren't moving!" Everyone scrambled to the window, the controls forgotten. Zane sighed, and took over the steering.

The ship hovered over the sand. "Nya and I will go see who's there," Lloyd instructed. "We'll call for backup if we need it." The ladder descended, and Nya and Lloyd disembarked after slipping their hoods over their faces.

They walked onto the island, but started running when they saw the prone figure collapsed on the sand. It was a small girl, her limbs askew and her lips chapped and dry. Lloyd knelt over her, brushing her dark hair out of her face and checking for a pulse.

"Is she alive?" asked Nya.

"Barely." Lloyd could feel a faint pulse in her throat, but it was getting slower by the second. "We're losing her." He looked to Nya. "We have to do something! I can't just let her die here." Nya tried to stay calm, and pressed the communicator embedded in her mask.

"Guys, lower the stretcher. She's in bad shape. Zane, are there any other people in here?"

"None," he confirmed after a quick heat scan.

"Let's go, then." Lloyd gently picked up the girl and laid her on the stretcher, which the others pulled back up. Nya climbed up the ladder, motioning for him to follow.

* * *

For the second time in her life, Aura was extremely surprised to be awake. She took in her sterile white surroundings, and immediately assumed that she was dead. She pinched herself, but it hurt.

 _Huh,_ she thought. _That's strange. Didn't know you could feel pain after you died._ Her throat no longer felt as parched, but her arm was sore. She turned her head to see an IV embedded in her elbow, liquid flowing through it.

Maybe she wasn't dead after all.

Aura let her head fall back against the pillow, and the door slowly creaked open. A girl about her age walked in, shocked to see her awake.

"Hey, you're up!" the girl said. "What's your name?" Aura licked her lips and cleared her throat.

"Aura. Where am I?"

"Hi Aura, I'm Nya." She smiled comfortingly, but Aura could see that she was both curious and uneasy. "You're on the Destiny's Bounty. Do you know what part of Ninjago you're from?"

"I'm… not." She tried to think straight, and then remembered something important. "Lloyd! The Green Ninja! You have to warn him! Someone's coming - and it's all my fault." Nya was incredibly concerned, knowing that while the girl was babbling and delirious, an attack on them was absolutely possible.

"I believe you," she assured her. "But I want to make sure you don't have a concussion. Do you know what year it is? How old are you?"

"2018. I'm fifteen," Aura sighed. "I've been on that island for weeks now." If it was possible, Nya was visibly even more worried.

"No, you haven't."

"What?" Now Aura was worried. _Could it have been less than that? Have I only been gone for a week, or a few days?_ Nya's voice brought her back to the present.

"Aura, it's 2020. It's been two years."

 **A/N: Hehehehe. (I barely know how radios work, I'm sorry.) So, headcanon ages post season 12 - Lloyd: 17, Nya: 17, Jay: 18, Kai: 18, Cole: 19, Zane: N/A**


	5. Four

**A/N: Thank you everyone for reading! Your views and kind words are what motivate me to write :)**

 **Guest Review Replies:**

 **Pandacat2000: Thank you so much! I definitely have a lot of plans for this story.**

 _Two years._

The words echoed in Aura's mind as her world came crashing down around her. _Two years._

She was seventeen years old.

Her face felt numb, blank. It couldn't have been two years. How had she survived?

"It can't have been." Aura's false bravado was a mark of her fragile mental state. "I didn't have any food or water. There's no way I could have survived for that long." Nya winced.

"Actually, your body does have all the signs of prolonged starvation and dehydration," she stated cautiously. "You have stiff muscles most likely from lethargy, and your organs are weak. I have heard of someone going into a coma for years because of a lack of water, but no one's ever woken up like you before." Nya's voice was concerned but calm, as if she was used to dealing with injuries.

"Are you a doctor?" Aura had to ask.

"No," Nya laughed. "Not even close. Zane is the one who knows all this stuff." She stored the name away in her mind for later. "I just got familiar with some of the wording for the sake of the team. Someone's always getting hurt, you know." Aura definitely did not know.

"Who _are_ you guys? You said this was the Destiny Count? Am I in a hospital?"

"Destiny's Bounty," Nya corrected. "No, this is our ship. The ninja's ship. You're really not from around here, are you?" She peered into the smaller girl's eyes, and sympathized for the darkness she saw within. "I'll get Lloyd. This kind of thing… He might know what to say." She bit her lip, walking out the door. "Hang in there, kid."

Aura wanted to say she wasn't a kid, but she definitely felt as lost as one.

* * *

Outside, a heated discussion ensued. Everyone was worried about the girl in the medbay, but had wildly different approaches.

"We're not equipped for this!" Cole waved his arms about. "I think we need to take her to a hospital."

"No," Lloyd repeated emphatically. "Guys, I think there's something wrong here. I don't know, a dying teenager trapped on an invisible island? That seems more up our alley. If there's some other realm or magic involved, a hospital might not be the best idea. What if there's something else coming?"

"I agree with Cole," Kai chimed in. "And hey, if there's something else coming, we can take it, right?"

"You always agree with Cole," Jay added. Kai looked absolutely affronted at this.

"Do not!" Nya walked into the room, and everyone turned.

"How is she?" Zane asked. Nya sighed.

"Awake." She flopped onto a chair. "She's pretty messed up. According to her, she's been trapped on that island for two years." Everyone pretended to be shocked, as if they hadn't heard the voices carrying from the room right next to them. Nya turned to Lloyd.

"She says someone's going to attack. Which could be true, but if she's really been gone for so long, it could have already happened. I think you should talk to her, Lloyd. It seems like she's worried about you." Lloyd frowned.

"What happened two years ago? Who were we facing?" The ninja sat back, deep in thought. After years of battling enemy after enemy, time had blurred until they couldn't tell who they had fought when.

"I think it was Nadakhan," Jay piped up, receiving four blank stares and a glare from Nya. "Oh, right."

"Wasn't it the Sons of Garmadon?" Kai offered.

"No, that was last year," Zane said. "A lot happened last year." He rifled through his memory banks. "The Tournament of Elements was three years ago, so that leaves… Morro." Just as Zane finished his sentence, the ninja sensed movement and turned around in sync. Behind them was Aura, clutching onto the doorframe. Nya jumped up.

"Why- _how_ are you up? You should be resting!" Aura didn't pay attention to what she was saying, relaxing in perceptible relief as she focused her gaze on Lloyd.

"You're alive," she muttered, walking around and sitting down on a chair a few feet away from them. "You guys are really loud, you know." Aura's voice was timid, and she put a hand on her head as a strange pulse shot through her skull. "I'm sure you don't trust me. I wouldn't trust me either. But I have _so many questions._ If I told you my story, could you try to answer them?"

* * *

Aura thought she sounded awfully confident for someone who didn't even know the year. She was trying to push the fact to the back of her mind, refusing to touch it.

The ninja exchanged incomprehensible glances. Lloyd spoke first.

"That would be great. I- what's your name?"

"Aura." He nodded, and tried for an encouraging smile.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to. I don't know how much you heard, but we're not going to kick you out or anything." Aura wanted to trust his sweet, earnest face, but couldn't bring herself to. She had been wronged once already. Best not to get attached to anyone in this place.

"It's fine," she insisted. "If you want to know."

"I do," he conceded. The others seemed to be waiting for him to take the lead. Formal introductions went around the room, and Aura began to tell her tale, starting with the fateful night she was walking back home with her friends. When she began to describe Morro, she could feel the tension rising in the room.

"He used me to walk around Ninjago," she recounted. Aura tried not to recall the suffocating feeling of being trapped inside her own mind. "He wanted to get to you."

She looked directly at Lloyd, whose face was becoming increasingly grim. "I tried to resist, but he was too strong. Eventually, he locked me up on the island and left me there. Said that his queen would curse the worlds." The ninja cringed, remembering the battle at Stiix.

"I'm so thankful that you found me," Aura smiled genuinely. "I was sure I was going to die there." Everyone looked down, empathetic through experiencing their own repeated near-death experiences.

"You're here now," Nya said as she put a hand on top of Aura's. "We're going to get you back home," she said firmly. Cole hesitated before putting forth what was on everyone's minds.

"The Realm Crystal was destroyed," he remembered. "How can we travel between realms?"

"We can figure that out later," Jay was surprisingly tactful. "For now, you should probably just recover. Get back on your feet." Aura was grateful for the kindness the teenagers had shown to her so far, but a part of her didn't want to impose on them any longer. However, there was one thing she had to make clear.

"Morro's… gone?" Lloyd took a breath, and looked to Kai.

"He's dead," Kai said coldly. Aura's story had rattled him, and brought back the horrible things that Morro had done to Lloyd and the rest of them. After the events of the last Day of the Departed, they had all tried to forgive the ghost. Kai, who had held the biggest grudge against him, had started to let his anger go.

But the fact remained that only part of Morro's spirit had come back from the Departed Realm, and the person he had once been had damaged the team almost beyond repair.

"The Cursed Realm was destroyed," Kai continued in a softer voice. "Everyone was sent to the afterword in the Departed Realm, Morro included. He's gone for good." Aura's muscles gave out, and she sank back in the chair. Obviously, she was thankful beyond relief.

But… Morro had been her only connection between Ninjago and her home. Without him, how would she ever get back?

She wiped her face, trying not to show signs of weakness. From the way they held themselves, these people had been through so much more than her. She could be strong, even if it was only a mask.

Everyone stood up, and slowly started filing out of the room to carry out their routines. Nya and Zane would steer the ship, Jay would make sure the engine kept working, and Kai and Cole would train and argue in the cabins.

Lloyd stayed behind instead of joining the others. He felt drawn to the small girl from another world, and knew that he was the only one who could truly relate to her experiences.

"Don't hide your pain," he said, as if he had read her earlier thoughts. "Believe me, it just makes things worse." The corner of his mouth turned up in an endearing grin. His green eyes were so full of life, in sharp contrast to Morro's violent red stare.

"If you need anything, I'm here. It gets better. I'll make sure you see your family again," he whispered. They both knew it was a promise impossible to guarantee.

* * *

Lloyd invited Aura to eat with them, and she reluctantly accepted. She knew she needed food, but would rather not be under the scrutinizing eye of the entire team.

Dinner was pizza, something that she had missed dearly. Aura didn't realize how hungry she was until she had easily eaten three slices. She thought they would be annoyed, but was quickly mistaken as Cole, Kai, and Jay devoured two pies between the three of them.

There was awkwardness in the air, as Aura and the ninja didn't really know what to do with each other. She tried to blend into the background, and was relieved when conversation started up among the team.

Thankfully, no one noticed her leaving the table and sneaking off to the medbay, which she assumed was where she was staying. Well, she thought no one noticed.

Lloyd followed her, knowing what it was like to be with people who had already grown so close together. Now, he was just as much a part of the team as any of them, but he still remembered the loneliness of his childhood. He was determined to make Aura feel at least a little bit welcome until she went back home.

He saw her go into the medbay, and trailed after her.

"Everything good?" Aura jumped back, startled.

"Hi," she said uneasily. "Sorry I left, I guess I'm still tired." She glanced towards the bed in the medbay, and Lloyd followed her train of thought.

"Oh! You know, you can stay with Nya, at least until we get to the monastery," he offered.

"That would be nice," Aura admitted. She inhaled sharply, and started to ask something, changing her question at the last second. "How long have you been a ninja for?" Lloyd thought about it.

"The Tomorrow's Tea took about three or four years, so I guess either five or nine years depending on how you look at it."

"Tomorrow's Tea?" Aura questioned.

"It's a long story," Lloyd smiled. "Basically, I grew a lot in a few seconds. Lost three years."

Aura could relate to that, although she was still wrapping her mind around the fact that she wasn't fifteen anymore. Lloyd, always perceptive, noticed she wanted to say something.

"Go ahead, I know you're about to ask something."

"Teach me." The words tumbled out of Aura in a rush.

"What?"

"Show me how to defend myself. Please," she stared at him with a determined spark. "I need to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

"Okay."

* * *

Two days passed, and Aura slowly fell into a routine with the ninja. Shortly after her conversation with Lloyd, they had disembarked from the Bounty and reached the aforementioned monastery.

She did end up sharing a room with Nya. They would wake up early in the morning, and Aura would usually go back to sleep while Nya trained with the others. She helped them with chores, despite everyone telling her she didn't have to.

Lloyd hadn't followed up on their conversation, and Aura didn't want to remind him for another few days. Whatever happened, she didn't want to be a bother to the people who had saved her life.

Eventually, Aura became used to staying with the boisterous teenagers. She wished she had an adult to confide in, but their infamous Master Wu was still on a trip to find Lloyd's father Garmadon. At least, that was what she understood from the brief conversations she was a part of.

Instead of training with them, which she knew she definitely was not cut out for, Aura used the various pieces of technology scattered around the monastery to learn more about Ninjago's geography and history. It truly was a fascinating world – so different from her own.

Finally, on night three of her new normal, Aura awoke to blaring sirens and red light. She started and jumped out of bed, anticipating an attack. Nya was already dressed, her gi on but hood down.

"What's happening?" Aura asked nervously. Nya waved her off, pressing a button on the wall to turn off the alarms.

"Don't worry about it, go back to sleep," she said with feigned calmness. Reluctantly, Aura slid back under the covers. Whatever was happening, she knew she couldn't help.

* * *

"What's the situation?" Nya strode into the room. The other ninja were already there in various states of alertness. Kai was poking at a burning candy wrapper, which he quickly put out when Nya came in.

Jay was twiddling his thumbs, and Cole was sleeping in a chair while Zane and Lloyd looked at the navigational display similar to the one on the Bounty.

"We have received an alert from Skylor," Zane told Nya. "She said that there have been rumors of someone behind her restaurant late at night. Someone swore they had been attacked only a few hours ago when they tried to investigate."

"Was it Dareth?" Kai asked skeptically. The clumsy ally of the ninja had recently started 'investigating' crime to try to get into Gayle Gossip's good graces. Unfortunately, his lack of agility and common sense had led to emergency rescues more than once.

"Yes, it was," Zane admitted. "But Skylor says that food scraps have been going missing for a few days now, and – this is the important part – that she heard an unfamiliar voice swearing and chanting strangely behind the building."

"That could be anyone," Jay argued. "Stray dogs. Local hoodlums."

"Dogs can't talk, Jay," Cole said briefly before falling back asleep. Lloyd was pondering the situation, but knew that he wanted to help Skylor, especially after she had helped the Resistance during Garmadon's recent reign.

"Okay, guys," he said quickly, a plan forming. "How about this. Zane – you, Cole, and Kai go check it out. You can be there and back in an hour or two. The rest of us will stay here, and we'll join you if you need backup." Those he'd singled out agreed, fixing their masks and leaving the room.

* * *

The three ninja flipped through the air and jumped across the rooftops, quickly reaching Chen's Noodle House.

Kai, Cole, and Zane crept around to the back of the building, kicking aside the trash cans along the walls. The restaurant was incredibly popular, and as a result had tons of garbage to be collected every night.

They stood still and listened quietly for any of the rumored chanting or swearing. There was nothing.

After waiting for a few minutes, the boys began to methodically check behind each trash can, intending to leave quickly and go back to sleep.

A rustle, nearly silent. They all froze, communicating silently. Years of fighting alongside each other had made it easy to predict the movements of their teammates as well as possible enemies.

The rustling stopped, and Kai dramatically kicked aside a trash can to reveal a hunched figure lurking in the darkness. His hand glowed bright with orange fire, illuminating a strangely green silhouette.

The man had dark, ragged hair and haunted sage irises, which he set upon them in a dead-eyed stare.

Kai looked down upon the Master of Wind, who looked right back at the three of them with a halfhearted smirk.

"Miss me?"

 **A/N: He's back! The story unfolds - leave a comment if you have a moment! (Also, if you like Morro and Lloyd, you might like my poem Duality.)**


	6. Five

**A/N: The main plot finally begins - let's find out how our characters will react.**

Aura awoke to darkness. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled for air. She couldn't be back down there again, it wasn't possible, she got out-

 _Calm down,_ she heard her own voice. _Open your eyes._

She ripped the covers off in one movement, exhaling slowly when she saw an open door and voices in the hallway.

Nya, Jay, and Lloyd were having a discussion, worry clear on their faces. She tiptoed down the hallway, hoping not to be noticed and quickly grab some water from the kitchen. Once again, Aura forgot that she was staying with ninja.

Lloyd saw her and walked over, nodding to the others and making some kind of gesture with his eyebrows. Aura found it remarkable that the team had an unspoken code of communication, even if it meant she was left out of almost every conversation.

"Hey," Lloyd said, reaching out to touch her shoulder and promptly drawing his arm back when she flinched. The tension in the air was palpable. "What are you doing up? We have everything handled here. Go back to sleep," he smiled reassuringly. She was still tired, but part of her held a deep fear of losing more time.

"I've slept enough," she decided. "What's going on?" Lloyd touched the back of his head nervously.

"We got a call from Skylor… it's nothing, really. You're still recovering. You need your rest." He nudged her gently towards the open doorway, and Aura knew that she wouldn't get her way.

"Will you wake me up if there's anything going on? Or anything that concerns me?" she cringed at the awkward words.

"Sure."

"Promise?"

"Don't worry, we will," Nya poked her head through the doorway. "But you need to sleep. It's two in the morning, and even after a few days, you can barely stand up straight."

"Hi!" Jay chirped, his eyes darting back to Nya. "Lloyd, Kai's calling," he said in a lower tone.

"Coming!"

* * *

Back in the control room, Nya, Jay, and Lloyd were listening intently to Kai's broadcast over the comms.

"Guys, we have a situation." He sounded nervous, which sent a sting of fear through the room. After all, a threat had to be significantly dangerous to scare the Master of Fire. Cole's voice came through next.

"We're on our way back, and we're bringing a guest." Jay winced, knowing that the 'guest' was most probably the mysterious troublemaker. Lloyd wished Dareth had been lying. It was always a hassle to turn over minor criminals to the police, who often resisted the ninja's efforts.

"It is not one of our ordinary culprits. Be prepared. Especially you, Lloyd," Zane sounded stressed, which was even more worrisome than Kai being scared. Lloyd wondered what Zane meant, and hoped that another villain hadn't broken out of Kryptarium. Nya was thinking along the same lines.

"We should probably be prepared for someone like Ultraviolet," she reasoned.

"But why wouldn't they just tell us who it is?" Jay wondered.

"Maybe they don't want to tip the person off that we know they're coming in case they're listening."

* * *

A few minutes earlier, Kai had lunged at Morro, who expertly sidestepped, sending the younger boy face-first into the cold ground.

The fight escalated as Cole pulled out a knife. Morro looked smug until Cole announced it was cursed, at which point the ghost simply turned and ran. Somehow, Zane, Cole, and Kai managed to subdue him, but he wasn't fighting back as much as they remembered.

"Leave me alone!" Morro exclaimed as the ninja surrounded him, weapons pointed. "I'm here to help you! I did before, remember? On Day of the Departed? Without me, you would all probably be dead by now!"

"That was just part of your spirit from the statue!" Kai argued. "We haven't forgotten what you did to Lloyd, you know. Or the girl." Morro was confused.

"What girl?"

"Don't play dumb." Cole lowered his knife. "You're coming back with us." Morro rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Whatever. But if you attack me, I won't be able to help you." The ninja were suspicious of his cooperation. Kai tapped his comm.

"Guys, we have a situation."

* * *

Ten minutes had passed since the rushed virtual conversation. Lloyd stared at his former nemesis, who seemed uncomfortable in his gaze. Morro fidgeted in the Deepstone handcuffs, not meeting anyone's eyes.

The ninja surrounded him, unsure what exactly to do. If the ghost had returned a few days ago, their reaction might have been different. Yes, he had hurt Lloyd badly, but that was in line with almost every other villain they had faced. Now that they knew he had kidnapped and nearly killed a random girl from another realm, they were once again suspicious of his motives.

Just how much was Morro capable of? What else had he done to innocent people? Could he really have changed since the battle with the Preeminent? And most importantly, was he actually here out of the goodness of his heart, or did he have a hidden goal? Morro leaned back in the hard chair. Finally, Nya broke the silence.

"Why are you here?" He sighed and took a deep breath.

"Bansha and a few other ghosts have escaped from the Cursed Realm," he said seriously. Everyone was skeptical.

"The Cursed Realm was destroyed," Zane reminded him.

"You can't just destroy a realm. The amount of power needed for that is far beyond the reach of a human or even an elemental master."

"We drowned the Preeminent," Kai said confidently. "We know she's dead. Pixal even threw her body back into the Departed Realm! There's no way the Cursed Realm still exists."

"The Preeminent is the physical manifestation of the Cursed Realm, not the realm itself," Morro explained tiredly. "She has nothing to do with this. But because she's in the Departed Realm, it and the Cursed Realm have sort of… overlapped. Combined. A desolate subsection, cut off from the other souls. The ghosts that are here and building their army? They're not working with her."

"Why should we believe you?" Cole countered. "And besides, how did you get out if you weren't working with them?"

"My case is different," he elaborated. "I was released from the curse after I hit the water at Stiix. My soul isn't bound to the Cursed Realm anymore, but I could still feel the unrest among its ghosts along with the rest of the departed. I escaped from a backdoor."

"Why– How is there a backdoor?" Nya was the one to ask this time.

"That one's your fault, actually." Morro's smirk returned. He looked at Lloyd. "Well, whoever summoned your father's fault. Someone in Ninjago forcefully opened the Departed Realm to let him out. And to make matters worse, you even destroyed the Realm Crystal!"

"How do you know about the Realm Crystal?" the ninja chorused.

"All the worlds shook when the Realm Crystal was destroyed. It isn't just a portal– that crystal was also a stabilizing barrier between realms. Without it, the ethereal walls have been fractured. The backdoor I found isn't the only one. The barriers between realms are thin all over."

"Well, what do you suggest we do?"

"First of all, we have to track the portals that are opening. Bansha continues to summon her army, and that's the only way you can stop more souls from crossing over as ghosts." Morro outlined his plan methodically.

"She's set up a base somewhere. We have to find it and raid it. Once we defeat her army, maybe then we can tackle everything else." He paused. "Think about it."

After a silent agreement, the ninja stood up, retreating into the hallway, Cole and Jay keeping Morro in their line of sight.

"What do we do, Lloyd?" Jay seemed conflicted. "We shouldn't just ignore a possible ghost army, but I also really don't wanna have to work with Morro for who knows how long!" His voice rose in pitch with the end of his sentence.

"I know," Lloyd agreed. "But sure, we can fight the ghosts. Still leaves the obvious question, what do we do with him?" Even after everything Morro had put him through, Lloyd thought that he had forgiven him. But after what happened to Aura, and the fact that it looked like he was back for good, he wasn't quite ready to team up.

Kai, who had been simmering quietly in the corner, finally spoke up. Lloyd was worried. Kai had always been protective of him, and much of his anger at Morro had rekindled after hearing Aura's story.

"Hey." His voice was emotionless, and he was deep in thought. "It's raining outside." Sure enough, the sounds of thunder could be heard outside the monastery. Nya was the first to figure out what her brother was thinking.

"Kai, _no_." With a combination of sleeplessness and pure reckless bravado, Kai had made up his mind. Elbowing his way past the other ninja, he walked briskly into the other room, stopping inches away from Morro's face and grabbing his shirt.

Surprisingly, Morro didn't fight back or attempt to phase through his hold, even though he was definitely capable of doing so. He let Kai slam him against the window, remaining calm as the rage in the teenager's eyes came to a boil.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw you out this window right now and let the rain finish what we started." Jay had an arm outstretched, but everyone was frozen, not knowing what to do.

"You should," Morro conceded. "You should, after all I put you through." His voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "But I know you won't."

"Who says I won't?" Kai snarled. Nya edged forward, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"Because," Morro continued, seemingly completely unafraid. "Don't you think what happens to me should be up to Lloyd?"

Kai let go.

* * *

It was four a.m., and the ninja had decided to get some sleep. Jay was keeping watch on Morro, and the rest of the team had gone to bed. Lloyd tossed and turned in his room. No matter how hard he tried to relax, sleep wouldn't come to him.

Walking into the living room, he grabbed his new cell phone and dialed one of the few contacts, turning down the volume so as not to wake up the rest of the building. Thankfully, the call connected.

"Lloyd." Wu's voice calmed him instantly. "Is everything alright?" He hesitated.

"Well… How are you doing, Master Wu? Did you find my father?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid." Wu sounded a little dejected. "What troubles you, Lloyd?" The boy smiled. Wu always knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Morro's back."

"Is he, now?" Lloyd filled Wu in on everything, from finding Aura to Morro turning up behind Chen's Noodle House. He told him the girl's story, and how it had made the team more wary towards Morro.

"What do I do? I'm so confused, uncle," Lloyd was frustrated and disconcerted. "He doesn't even know she's here right now. I don't know if he even remembers her!"

"Are you sure she is telling the truth?"

"I think so. I mean, she has no reason to lie, right?" he trailed off. Wu was quiet for a few moments.

"Do what your heart says is right, Lloyd," he advised. Wu could almost see the teen's eyes roll at his vague words, and knew he needed something more this time.

"I forgive my former pupil, if that's what you needed to hear." He paused. "Think. Would you really continue to hold a grudge against his past actions even if it might impact Ninjago's future? Perhaps it is time to put your feelings out of your mind and _act_ instead of reacting."

Lloyd smiled. His uncle always knew exactly what to say.

* * *

Orange veins glittered behind her closed eyelids. This time, she awoke to sunlight. Aura was unsettled, but also relieved.

 _That means nothing happened,_ she thought. _Nothing memorable, at least._ Her mind spiraled. _Or maybe, it's so important it's too dangerous to tell me about–_ She bit her lip, pulling the covers around herself before shaking off the drowsiness.

Aura quickly braided her hair, cringing when she saw how long it had gotten. Almost to her knees. How had she not noticed before? _It would be so easy to pull, or wrap around your neck-_

"Shut up!" she whispered aloud to her wayward mind. "I'll cut it later." She let her legs carry her into the kitchen automatically. Buildings were the one and only thing her memory worked well to catalog, with the exception of the treacherous maze of hallways she had almost died in.

Cole was the only one to see the girl about to turn into the kitchen.

"Hey, wait!" he shouted. It was too late.

Aura stopped in the hallway as her eyes settled on the man with his feet on the kitchen table. It was him.

Morro, her captor, her tormentor – sitting nonchalantly with one arm cuffed to the chair.

A shocked green gaze met hers, eyes widening in shocked recognition. She felt her field of vision about to swim as fear and adrenaline overwhelmed her. _Freeze. Fawn._

Aura crouched to the floor, wrapping her arms around her. The noise in her head was overwhelming, she could hear the sounds of her own trapped screams-

Arms lifted her up and guided her into the hallway.

"Breathe," the voice said. "It's alright. You're having a panic attack. Your adrenaline levels are spiking. Take slow breaths." She looked up to see glowing blue eyes. It was the android. Zane, she recalled.

Sure enough, the lightness in her head cleared to make way for embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she looked down."Don't know what got into me. Just seeing him I guess, I-"

"Don't worry about it," Zane held onto her shoulder. "It happens to all of us. After everything, it's natural, even expected to have such a reaction."

"Why is he here?"

"I don't want to explain alone. Would you care to join the others?"

* * *

"I'm so sorry," Cole still felt guilty for not warning the girl earlier. They were sitting in the training room minus Zane, who was making sure Morro didn't try to leave.

"It's okay," Aura had mostly recovered after the initial shock. The ninja had explained the basics of the situation, describing spontaneous portals and unstable worlds. She didn't know what any of it meant, and just wanted to go home.

 _But nothing will be the same again,_ she realized. _My parents must think I've been dead for two years. I should have graduated high school by now. I won't be able to go to college!_ Not noticing that she had been listing forward, she clung to the wall, scrambling for purchase.

There was silence throughout the room, as no one quite knew what to say or do. Cole continued.

"We all agree that you and Lloyd can decide the path forward. You're the ones he's hurt the most directly, so it's up to you to decide what to do with him." Aura looked at Lloyd, who looked back.

"If you want to send him away to prison, I'll accept it," Lloyd said softly. "Part of me still wants that. I was possessed too, but my friends and family were here to save me and help me back up. I know you weren't so lucky." The words weren't comforting, but they were grounding.

"You know best," Aura repeated firmly. For a few minutes, she had thought in all directions the consequences of the decision she would make. "If you think he can help with the ghosts, then he should probably stay. I'm just a bystander here, guys. Collateral damage. There's nothing I can do except stay out of your way while you fix whatever's going on." She had read enough of Ninjago's history books to know that bad things happened to the city when civilians tried to interfere with the ninja's missions.

"And," she kept going. "If you want me to leave, I can go to a shelter or something. Leave you to it."

"We don't need you to leave," Lloyd insisted. "You can stay as long as you want. It's your call." Inside his mind, he held himself responsible for the damage Morro had caused. He was coming after _him,_ the Green Ninja. If Lloyd could have anticipated his return, Aura would have never been dragged into a world that she didn't belong in.

Behind him, the rest of the ninja stiffened at his standing invitation, but did still feel sympathy for the girl whose life had been uprooted.

"Okay," she finished.

"You'll stay?"

"I'll stay."

"And Morro?" The rest of them waited for an answer.

"He can stay too." Aura knew that to move forward, she had to let go of her past. Everyone seemed relieved with her decision, which was her goal. There was just one last thing that she needed to do.

Ignoring the team's stunned glances, she strode back into the kitchen, where Morro swung his feet off the table. Aura met her enemy's gaze. It was green. Brushing the odd thought away, she stopped a foot from his chair.

"I forgive you." The words fell out of her mouth as she quickly turned around, running back to her and Nya's room. Tears flew past her face as she sprinted through the doorway, collapsing on the bed.

She hadn't entirely meant it. Forgiveness wouldn't come so easily, but if she wanted to be even a small part of the team's battle, she knew it had to be done. Aura could almost sense the trials and tribulations to come, but perhaps with the ninja as her allies, she would make it back home in one piece.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading - leave some feedback if you have a second!**


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